Meter Q&A (Commercial) - South West Water

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What does water metering mean?
It means that your property
has been fitted with a measuring
device – the water meter – which
records how much water you use.
This enables us to base our
charges for both our water and
sewage disposal services on your
use of them, like gas and
electricity.
The meter will measure the
amount of water you use in cubic
metres. One cubic metre is
Where is my meter?
It will either be in the pavement
outside your property in a special
meter box or inside your property
close to where the water service
pipe enters it.
If the meter is inside your
property we may have installed a
wall pad so that we can read the
meter without having to come
into it. The wall pad is a round
Who owns the meter?
The meter and all associated
fittings belong to South West
Water. If something goes wrong,
1,000 litres or approximately
220 gallons.
You will be charged for each cubic
metre of water we supply to you
and for each cubic metre of waste
water you dispose of to our sewers.
Normally the sewerage charge will
be based on 95% of the water you
have used as recorded by the
meter (see page 11).
black plastic unit (7cm in
diameter) which will be on an
outside wall to which we have
unrestricted access.
Please note: If a meter is
installed inside your property
please do not undertake any work
which will stop us from gaining
access to read or replace it.
we will replace the meter or
fitting, or repair it, free of charge.
Accounts Helpline: 0800 169 1133

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When will my meter be read and how
often will I get a bill?
Normally we will read the meter
every six months. You will also
receive a bill for each three month
period directly following a reading
based on an estimate of your
water use.
You may also get a bill based on
an estimate if for some reason
we cannot read the meter when
we are due to. If we find that the
meter has stopped recording your
use you will receive a bill based on
the previous average daily
consumption.
What do I do if I think your estimate
is wrong?
We have developed a system
which estimates usage by
reference to the amount of water
that has been used in the past.
However if you do feel that an
estimate is wrong, please check
your meter and tell us the
reading. A form is provided on
the back of the bill for you to
fill in and send to us. You can
also send us a meter reading
electronically via our website
www.southwestwater.co.uk or
via our Automated Meter Reading
Line: 0800 083 4247.
Once you have given us the
reading, we will send you a
new bill.
If you believe that an estimate
is wrong but cannot read the
meter, please telephone our
Accounts Helpline free of
charge on 0800 169 1133
(for Minicom users only 0800
169 9965) so that we can discuss
any necessary adjustments.
If you cannot read the meter
because of disability, ring our
Accounts Helpline free of
charge on 0800 169 1133
(for Minicom users only 0800 169
9965) and ask for details of our
Priority Services. We can make
arrangements to provide
additional meter readings.
(for Minicom users only: 0800 169 9965)
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Should I check my meter reading myself?
Please check your meter reading
at least monthly, particularly if
your meter is located outside
your property.
Checking your meter readings
regularly will alert you early if
there is a leak on your
underground pipework – the
reading will suddenly increase.
Keeping an eye on how much
water you are using will also
help you budget for paying
your bill.
What will happen if I have a leak?
The underground service pipe
bringing water into your property
is your responsibility (or that of
your landlord if you are a tenant),
usually between the boundary
of the street in which our water
main is laid and your property.
You are responsible for the pipe’s
maintenance and repair.
If your meter is located outside
your property, a leak on the
underground service pipe could
mean that you receive a large bill.
A monthly meter check will help
you to spot a leak early – and
speedy action by you to deal with
it will help to ensure that you can
get help with your bill.
If you think that you have a leak,
call our Services Helpline free
of charge on 0800 169 1144
(for Minicom users only 0800
169 9965). We may be able to
offer you up to one hour’s free
assistance to locate the leak.
Please see pages 15 to 20 for
more information on leaks.
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Accounts Helpline: 0800 169 1133

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How do I read my meter?
Once you have lifted the cover on
the meter box you may see a
polystyrene plug which
protects your meter
against frost. Please
remove it to read your
meter but remember
to replace it
afterwards.
There are two sets
of numbers: black
numbers on the left
and red numbers on the
right. The black numbers
record the amount of water
which has been used in cubic
metres. The red numbers
represent fractions of a
cubic metre.
We only use the black numbers
for billing purposes. Therefore
if you are reading the meter to
correct what you believe is an
inaccurate estimate, you only
have to tell us the figure
recorded by the black numbers.
For example, the reading on the
meter in the picture above would
be 345 cubic metres.
Please telephone our Accounts
Helpline free of charge on 0800
169 1133 (for Minicom users only
0800 169 9965) if you have any
difficulties in reading the figures
on your meter.
Note: Larger or older meters may
look different to this.
(for Minicom users only: 0800 169 9965)
5

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What do I do if I think my meter is
incorrectly recording my use of water?
Firstly if you have had a bill which
shows you have used more water
than you thought please check
your last bill. Was it estimated?
If so, add together the two amounts
of water for which you have been
billed. Does the total use for six
months seem more in line with
what you think you are using? If it
does, it is unlikely that there is
anything wrong but call our
Accounts Helpline free of charge
on 0800 169 1133 (for Minicom
users only 0800 169 9965) if you
are unsure or want any help.
If the amount used still seems
high, please check to see whether
there might be a leak on your
supply. To do this, read your
meter and write down the figures
showing on both the black and
red dials. You now need to make
sure that you do not use any water
for at least 30 minutes (a full hour
would be better).
Read the meter again. If the
reading on either the black or the
red dials have increased since
your first reading, you may well
have a leak. Call our Services
Helpline free of charge on 0800
169 1144 (for Minicom users only
0800 169 9965) if you think you
might have a leak.
If you do not appear to have a
leak and you still think your
meter is wrong, call our
Accounts Helpline free of
charge on 0800 169 1133
(for Minicom users only 0800 169
9965). We will arrange for
someone to discuss your water use
with you. If we agree that the
meter needs to be tested it will be
removed and sent to a Trading
Standards approved Test Centre.
The meter will be tested at three
separate flow rates. The test
results will be sent to you
together with the Test Centre’s
confirmation of whether or not
the meter recorded use within the
limits required by the Measuring
Equipment (Cold-water Meters)
Regulations 1988.
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Accounts Helpline: 0800 169 1133

Please note that if the test shows that the meter is correctly
recording use you will have to pay for the test.
A test will cost:
For meters up to 22mm:
For meters 23 – 42mm:
Larger meters:
£67 plus VAT
£134 plus VAT
Actual cost plus VAT
Value Added Tax
Measured and unmeasured water
supply charges to businesses
whose predominant activity falls
within categories 1 to 5 of the
Standard Industrial Classification
(1980 Edition), i.e.
1 Energy and water supply industries
2 Extraction of minerals and ores other than fuels:
manufacture of metals, mineral products and chemicals
3 Metal goods, engineering and vehicles industries
4 Other manufacturing industries
5 Construction
are subject to VAT at the standard
rate. Water supply charges to all
other customers are zero rated.
Measured and unmeasured
sewerage and sewage disposal
charges and trade effluent
charges are always zero rated.
(for Minicom users only: 0800 169 9965)
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How much will I pay?
The table below sets out the
current year’s charges for our
water and sewerage services
(including standing charges).
Find the figure in the left hand
column closest to the amount of
water you think you will use and
read across to the charge for this
amount. (The figures below
include the standing charge for a
meter up to 22mm in size).
Annual water & Annual water &
Annual water use sewerage charge sewerage charge
(cubic metres) (with surface water)* (no surface water)*
22 £135 £128
45 £233 £217
68 £330 £306
91 £427 £395
113 £520 £480
136 £617 £569
159 £715 £658
182 £812 £747
204 £905 £832
228 £1,006 £925
250 £1,099 £1,010
273 £1,197 £1,099
296 £1,294 £1,188
*Water element subject to VAT at the standard rate for some customers
(see VAT section on previous page).
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Accounts Helpline: 0800 169 1133

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How are the annual charges worked out?
For a customer using both our
drinking water and sewerage
services, the annual charge
comprises four parts, as follows:
Water*
Standing charge £29.88
Volume charge (per cubic metre of water) £1.57
Sewerage
Standing charge £12.60
Volume charge (including surface water)
(per cubic metre of waste water) £2.7977
Volume charge (no surface water)
(per cubic metre of waste water) £2.4216
If you do not use our sewerage
service you will receive a bill
for water comprising the
water standing and volume
charges only.
Standing charge
The standing charges quoted are
for a meter up to 22mm (3/4 inch)
which covers the sizes fitted to
most small businesses. Higher
standing charges are payable for
larger meters (see table below):
Annual standing charge for meter size: Water* Sewerage
Up to and including 22mm £29.88 £12.60
Above 22mm and up to and including 28mm £39.24 £16.56
Above 28mm and up to and including 42mm £48.60 £20.52
Above 42mm and up to and including 65mm £82.08 £34.80
Above 65mm and up to and including 80mm £88.32 £37.44
Above 80mm and up to and including 100mm £93.72 £39.60
Above 100mm £105.84 £44.76
(for Minicom users only: 0800 169 9965)
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How are the annual charges worked out?
continued...
A quarter of the annual standing
charge is included on each of the
four bills you will receive in a
year, although the standing
charge is calculated daily, so a
slight variance may occur.
The sewerage volume charge
normally is based on 95% of the
water you have used as recorded
by the meter.
If your property has a surface
water connection and you use 25
cubic metres of water a quarter,
your quarterly bill would be made
up as follows:
Water*
Standing charge £7.47
Volume charge (25 x £1.57) £39.25
Sewerage
Standing charge £3.15
Volume charge (25 x 95% x £2.7977) £66.45
Total amount payable £116.32
* Subject to VAT at the standard rate for some customers (see VAT
section on page 7).
Q
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Why do I pay a standing charge?
Standing charges recover our costs for reading meters and
sending out bills.
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Accounts Helpline: 0800 169 1133

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Why are sewerage charges based upon
95% of water used?
Almost all of the water we
supply to you will ultimately
be discharged to our sewerage
system. However some water
will not end up in our sewers,
for example water used externally
or water which evaporates when
clothes are dried. Therefore we
give an allowance of 5% (the Non
Return to Sewer allowance)
against the amount of water
you have taken through your
meter when we calculate your
sewerage charges.
How can I pay my bill?
As you will be billed in arrears
for your use of our services, the
amount due is payable on receipt
of each account.
If you have a bank account, you
can pay the amount due each
quarter at your bank by using the
Giro slip which is included with
the bill (your bank will not
normally charge you for this) or
by posting a cheque to our
Accounts Department whose
address is listed on the bill.
If you can prove to us that a
greater amount of water you use
is not discharged to our sewers
we will consider increasing the
Non Return to Sewer allowance.
For more information please
contact our Accounts Helpline
free of charge on 0800 169 1133
(for Minicom users only 0800 169
9965). However, any change will
not be back-dated.
If you have a debit card
you can pay online at
www.southwestwater.co.uk or
over the telephone by calling our
Automated Card Payment Line
free of charge 0800 2300 750
(for Minicom users only 0800
169 9965). You can also pay using
your bank’s online or telebanking
services.
(for Minicom users only: 0800 169 9965)
11

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What should I do if I have problems
paying the bill?
Please contact our Accounts
Helpline free of charge on
0800 169 1133 (for Minicom
users only 0800 169 9965) as
soon as possible.
We will try our best to agree an
appropriate instalment plan
with you.
What should I do if I move
or cease trading?
Please notify us at least two
working days, but preferably
five, beforehand so that we can
take the final meter reading.
If you do not notify us you will
remain liable for the charges
raised up to either:
(a) 28 days after notification of a
change of customer is received; or
(b) the date the meter is normally
read, i.e. the end of the charging
period; or
If we have agreed an instalment
plan with you and you do not pay,
we can disconnect your water
supply and/or issue a County
Court Claim. It is therefore
essential that you keep your side
of any agreement to pay.
(c) the date the new occupier tells
us that he or she is responsible for
the meter, whichever occurs first
after you have ceased to occupy
the property.
We recognise that this will be a
busy time. If you realise at the
last moment that you have not
told us you are moving, you can
read the meter yourself and
telephone our Accounts Helpline
free of charge on 0800 169 1133
(for Minicom users only 0800 169
9965) with the reading.
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Accounts Helpline: 0800 169 1133

Other matters
for customers with meters
Proof of amount of water used
The register of the meter (the meter
reading) is evidence of the volume
of water used and, except where a
meter is proved to be registering
Please get our consent before
you carry out any work which might
prevent your meter from registering
volumes accurately or which might
affect the working of the meter or
require its disconnection. If you do
incorrectly, will be proved as
evidence of usage on production of
a certificate of reading by a person
duly authorised by the company.
Interference with meters
Water conservation
Saving water is good for the
environment and good for your
business – the less water you use
the lower your bill will be.
A tap left running for a month
could cost your business £1,200.
not get our consent, such works
constitute an offence.
The cost of any work which we
undertake because it was made
necessary by an offence is
recoverable from the offender.
For free information and advice on
how your business can reduce its
water use call our Water
Conservation Helpline free
of charge on 0800 378 937
(for Minicom users only 0800
169 9965).
(for Minicom users only: 0800 169 9965)
13

Other matters
for customers with meters
Important – Water heaters
If you have a directly plumbed (or
unvented) hot water heater where
the heated water expands into the
connecting pipework, rather than
into an expansion vessel or similar
facility, the installation of a water
meter may expose this deficiency.
This is because the housing for the
meter includes a non-return valve
which prevents water from
passing back into our mains.
South West Water is not liable for
any problems which may arise
with any of your pipes or other
apparatus due to the fitting of a
non-return valve and in the event
of a problem with your water
heater, South West Water will
not contribute towards repairs.
If in doubt about the effect of a
non-return valve on your system,
please consult your heating or
plumbing engineer.
14

Help with Leakage
for Commercial customers
This document sets out help that is available for
commercial customers if they have a leak on their
private underground service pipe or where a leak occurs
on a private service pipe supplying both a commercial
and a domestic property.
Paying by volume
If you have a water meter installed
you pay for the volume of water
you use, based on meter readings.
In the event of a leak on your
service pipe you may be entitled
to a Leak Allowance. Our Leak
Allowance policy is set out below.
Position of meter
The location of your meter will
be determined by us in accordance
with Regulations made by
Government. Meters may be
installed either internally, or
externally near to the boundary
of the property served.
Responsibility for pipework
As a commercial customer, it is
very important for you to be aware
that you have responsibilities to
maintain the service pipe which
delivers water into your property.
If your property is some distance
from our water main, it’s likely
that you’ll have a very long
service pipe. Remember, you are
responsible for the entire length
of the service pipe from your
property, right the way to the
boundary of the street in which
our main is laid.
If your property is owned by a
Landlord, it is the Landlord that is
responsible for the service pipe.
Leaks on service pipes
Leaks on service pipes may be
identified by customers as a result
of: visible wet patches not
accounted for by normal ground
or surface water flows; increased
volumes recorded on the meter;
a meter dial continuing to turn
when no water is being used
(including possible refilling of any
storage cisterns or tanks); or by
noise emanating from the service
pipe. Additionally South West
15

Help with Leakage
for Commercial customers
Water has a team of leak
detection inspectors monitoring
the water supply network and
they may also detect these signs
on a customer’s service pipe. If
a leak is found on your private
service pipe, whether it is found
by yourself or by a South West
Water leak detection inspector, it
is your responsibility to repair it.
For some older service pipes in
poor condition, it may be more
sensible to replace the service
pipe to prevent future leakage
and costs, rather than simply
repairing the leak.
Minimising water wasted
through service pipe leakage
Water escaping from a leak is a
loss of a valuable resource, so if
a leak is reported or detected on
your pipework we will ask the
customer to repair it. In the
event that a customer fails to
comply with such a request, we
can serve a legal notice requiring
a repair to be carried out. If this
is still not done we can carry out
the repair and recover our costs
from the person responsible for
the pipe paying the water
charges. In extreme cases where
escaping water is in danger of
causing damage or danger to
persons or property, we can turn
off the supply until a repair is
carried out. Where escaping
water is not causing a danger
and the loss is not causing supply
problems and is not judged to be
a severe loss of resource we
usually allow up to 30 days for a
leak to be repaired.
What can South West
Water do to help?
Free leak detection service
South West Water may be able to
offer commercial customers up to
one hour’s free leak detection
service for leaks on underground
service pipes. South West Water
will provide the service of a leak
detection inspector for up to one
hour free of charge to help
identify the location of a leak.
Please note that for leaks that
are difficult to locate and lengthy
service pipes it is likely that this
free hour will only be able to
confirm the presence of a leak
and provide some help and
16

guidance in how best to proceed
with further investigations. If the
leak is detected by a South West
Water leakage inspector this free
service may be taken at the time
that the inspector contacts you to
advise you of the leak, if this is
convenient, or alternatively
if you would like to take
advantage of our Commercial
Leak Detection service at a later
time please telephone our
Services Helpline free of charge
on 0800 169 1144 (for Minicom
users only 0800 169 9965).
Contractor list
South West Water can provide you
with a list of contractors who are
familiar with this type of work and
operate in your area and therefore
may be able to help you repair
your leaking service pipe. You may
of course select any alternative
contractor you wish to carry out
the necessary repair.
Leak Allowances
If you have a water meter, you
are responsible for all of the
consumption registered on the
meter, even if the consumption
is higher than usual because of
a leak on your service pipe.
Therefore you will be paying for
water which is wasted by leakage
from your pipework.
However, if your leak was underground
and it was repaired within
30 days of you becoming aware
(or you should have been aware)
of the leak we may grant you an
allowance for both the water and
sewerage elements up to the
increase in the charges raised on
your account because of the leak.
It is important to understand that
the granting of Leak Allowances
on water and sewerage charges
are at our discretion and we apply
certain limitations, as follows:
■ Customers are only allowed a
maximum of two allowances per
occupation of a property. Any
subsequent charges raised by
South West Water will be payable
by the customer in full even when
a service pipe has been leaking.
■ A second allowance will be
limited to 50% of the calculated
Leak Allowance on water and
sewerage charges.
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Help with Leakage
for Commercial customers
■ Allowances will only be
backdated over the last two
scheduled meter readings. If a
leak has been running for longer
than that period, South West
Water will only provide an
allowance for the water lost
during the last two meter reading
periods. This includes restricting
allowances for sewerage charges
to the same timescales.
■ Allowances will only be granted
if the leak has been repaired
promptly, usually within 30 days.
■ Before an allowance is granted
commercial customers must either
install leak detection equipment
approved by South West Water or
sign up for South West Water’s
monthly meter reading service, at
a cost of £50 per annum plus VAT.
No allowance will be granted if the
customer refuses either of these
options.
■ No allowance will be granted
where:
(a) water is escaping from
pipework or fittings other than
underground service pipes
(b) a leak has been caused by
negligence or wilful damage on
the part of you, your employees,
or agents
(c) you knew, or should have
known, that there was a leak and
failed to repair it (within 30 days)
(d) a leak was caused by a third
party from whom you are able to
recover your costs.
Adjustment of water
supply charges
Where we agree to make a Leak
Allowance, we will adjust your
water charges on the basis of past
normal consumption. Where there
is no record of previous
consumption, we will base an
allowance on the consumption
recorded when we next read the
meter after the leak has been
repaired. We will not ask you to
pay until we have worked out
your allowance.
Adjustment of sewerage charges
If you pay sewerage charges and
we adjust your water charges
because of a leak, we may make a
18

similar adjustment to your
sewerage charges if we believe
it is reasonable to do so.
If you need to apply for a Leak
Allowance, please call our
Accounts Helpline free of charge
on 0800 169 1133 (for Minicom
users only 0800 169 9965).
Leakage checks made when
a meter is installed for the
first time
We know that a substantial
amount of water escapes from
unidentified leaks on customers’
underground service pipes. When
we install a meter on an existing
supply, we will check to see
whether there is any leakage from
your private service pipe by
confirming that the meter is not
moving when you are not using
water in your premises.
If there is a leak on the
underground pipe which is within
the excavation we have made to
install the meter, we will repair
it free of charge.
However, if additional excavation
is required, you will be responsible
for locating and repairing the leak
yourself although you may wish to
take advantage of South West
Water’s offer of up to one hour of
leak detection inspector’s time to
assist with locating a leak. If you
do not repair the leak within 30
days you will be charged for all
water used.
How to spot a leak
Water escaping from a leak on
your private underground service
pipe may not be obvious above
ground (but wet areas or patches
of lush vegetation around your
property in dry spells could
suggest a leak). If you have an
external meter, it is important
to keep a regular check on your
meter readings to help you
identify an underground leak at
an early stage. We recommend
you check your meter reading
every month.
A bill showing higher than usual
consumption can also be an
indication that you have a leak
on your service pipe.
If you suspect that you might have
a leak, you can check the situation
by: turning off all water using
19

Help with Leakage
for Commercial customers
apparatus in your property for
a couple of hours; noting the
reading on all the dials on the
meter at the start of the period
of isolation; and checking the
reading on the meter again at
the end. If the dials have moved,
then you probably do have a
leak. To check that it is on your
underground pipe and not inside
your property, you should then
turn off your inside stopcock and
check the meter again. If the dials
have moved again, or are moving
while the stopcock is turned off,
the leak is probably on your
underground pipe.
If you believe your meter is
recording consumption
inaccurately, you may require
us to test the accuracy of the
meter supplying your property.
However, there will be a charge
for this if the test shows that the
meter is not over-recording
consumption. It should be noted
that as meters age and wear it is
far more likely that consumption
will be under-recorded.
Reporting a leaking service pipe
If you wish to report a leak on
your service pipe please call our
Services Helpline free of charge
on 0800 169 1144 (for Minicom
users only 0800 169 9965).
Reporting other leaks
We are very grateful to customers
who report leaks from our water
mains to us. These can be reported
on our Services Helpline free
of charge on 0800 169 1144
(for Minicom users only
0800 169 9965), or via our website
www.southwestwater.co.uk
(selecting ‘Emergencies’ and then
the ‘Report a leak’ option).
Printed on 100% recycled paper
Effective April 2008
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South West Water Limited, Peninsula House
Rydon Lane, Exeter EX2 7HR
Registered in England No. 2366665
www.southwestwater.co.uk
80266 3/08